NCBFAA Seeking Member Input on Future of Permitting Regulations

The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) stressed the importance of member engagement in a post on the NCBFAA website, encouraging brokers to get active and help to guide CBP as it looks to revise customs broker permitting regulations. CBP is considering using a more national permitting structure for brokers, rather than the current district structure that is based on geographic regions. Although "CBP has confirmed that they are not looking into making any changes in the immediate future" the NCBFAA "wants to be proactive and begin discussions now to allow comments, ideas and concerns from all its members to be received and reviewed," it said. "The NCBFAA has to manage this process methodically, with input from all to ensure our proposal on 'permitting' maintains the professionalism that our customers and government agencies demand."

The changes will move forward with or without NCBFAA input, the association said. "Doing nothing at this point means accepting whatever changes come down the road and we will have no say in it," it said. "The question is: what do we wish to propose, under the national permit scheme, as a method to assure responsible supervision and control over customs business?"

The NCBFAA has started internal discussions on the subject and there is consensus "by member companies, large and small, and in our different geographic regions, that the individual licensed broker is vital to this industry and international trade in general." NCBFAA officials previously voiced concerns with CBP plans for changes to permitting, saying they could come at the expense of individual brokers (see 14022415).